


Just This One Last Time

by steve_it_only_hurt_a_little_rogers



Series: Stony One Shots [7]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Everything Hurts, M/M, The Author Regrets Everything
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-01
Updated: 2015-10-01
Packaged: 2018-03-04 18:52:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3082799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/steve_it_only_hurt_a_little_rogers/pseuds/steve_it_only_hurt_a_little_rogers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Never listen to The Fighter by The Fray. Just don't listen to music ever.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. He Never Even Saw the Swing

**Author's Note:**

> I think two chapters will be sufficient.

“I said no Steve. I’ve never sat out a mission and I won’t start sitting out now.”

“Stark, please just-”

Tony slammed down his wrench and stood up so he could talk face to face with his overly paranoid husband. He was in his lab tinkering with an invention as usual, having the same argument he’s been having with Steve for the past year. Tony knew he was getting old, he knew his health was failing, he hated Steve harping on it.

“Steve! Stop. Just stop. I know you worry constantly about me, but you know what I’m worried about you too.”

Tony looked up into Steve’s eyes.

“You think I don’t see you paying more attention to what I’m doing in a fight then to what’s in front of you. I’ve seen you get easily taken off guard and miss easy hits. Babe, please stop worrying about me! Your worry makes _me_ worry.”

Steve crossed his arms.

“You know I can’t do that, Stark. It’s not just for your own good. What about the team? We can’t be concerned that something happened to you every time you leave our sight! What about the kids? They need at least one constant in their lives, god knows I can’t be there all the time.”

Tony used to Steve’s overdramatic nature scoffed.

“And what am I supposed to tell them if you die because I wasn’t there? ‘Gee, I don’t know what happened to your papa hopefully he’s not frozen in block of ice somewhere!’”

Steve and Tony stared each other down for a few moments.

“Fine,” Steve said finally.

“’Fine’ what?” Tony snapped.

“Fine, get yourself killed. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Tony was taken aback for moment. Steve had never been so downright nasty towards him.

“You’ve got a lot of fu-” Tony started when he was cut off by the red alert.

“Sir, there seems to be a hydra on the loose.”

“HYDRA?” Steve asked, “What the fuck are they doing here?”

“He said _a_ hydra, dumbass, as in the animal,” Tony corrected already in his Iron Man armor, “Suit up, Capsicle, I smell Loki mischief.”

 --------------------------------------------------------------------

 

“Hey, Rock of Ages! Can you and your pet go play somewhere else?” Tony mocked as he narrowly avoided being head-butted by the hydra.

“Don’t mock me Man of Iron, I might have to make you its chew toy,” Loki growled, “Besides, I’m looking for my dear brother.”

“Well, I’m afraid-SHIT,” Tony cursed as he dodged the creature’s tail and cut it off.

“God DAMNIT, Stark! BE CAREFUL,” Steve shouted into the com.

“Yeah, I got that covered, Cap,” Tony sighed back.

He started flying around the hydra again, “JARVIS buddy you got any weak spots found yet?”

“I believe so, sir, but I must warn you that…”

Tony cursed his suit’s connection to JARVIS had been buggy lately, something he kept meaning to work on, “Warn me about what? JARVIS talk to me.”

“…ttail.”

“Tail? What?” Tony said as he was slammed through two buildings by a newly regenerated tail.

“Stark? Iron Man? Are you okay?”

Tony peeled himself off the floor of whatever building he landed in. _Damn that thing hits hard. I think some of the suit’s digging into me!_

“IRON MAN REPORT!” Captain America ordered.

“I’m fine, Steve! Just got side swiped!”

Tony heard his husband’s sigh of relief, “Well, we cut off the tail that out fielded you so come out before it grows back again. JARVIS got anything for us yet?”

Tony was already back in the fight before Steve finished his question, “I can’t get through to him! I gotta fix it when I get back to the lab, where’s Thunder Boy when- WHAT THE FUCK.”

Tony almost got hit again, “I THOUGHT YOU SAID YOU CUT IT OFF!”

“Anthony!” Loki yelled, “You know how when you cut off one head two more grow in its place?”

Tony glared suspiciously at Loki who smirked.

 _What does that have to with- oh shit._ Tony’s realization came too late. The last thing he heard before hitting the ground was JARVIS warning him that the tails grow back like the heads.

“Thanks for the tip,” he whispered as he felt the part of the suit that was digging into his side go all the way through.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

He’s not getting up. Why isn’t he getting back up he always bounces back. You can’t make Tony Stark stay down for anything. If there was anything he knew in his fifteen years with Tony it was that.

“Tony?” he said into the com, “Babe?”

“I’m afraid Master Stark’s com is out sir,” JARVIS said- shakily? Something was definitely wrong if JARVIS was having hints of emotion.

Steve started walking towards his fallen husband everything: the hydra, whatever cronies Loki brought along, being Captain America, all of it ignored.

“JARVIS? He’s fine right? He just got the air knocked out of him right?”

“That… among other injuries sir.” JARVIS was getting quieter.

Steve sped up, “What injuries? JARVIS? Are they fixable?”

“I honestly can’t tell what is and is not broken. I can’t even say what’s killing him Captain.”

Steve was at an all-out sprint by this point. When he made it to Tony he pulled off what was left of his mask. Tony smiled up at him and chuckled.

“You did warn me, Blondie.”

Steve voice cracked, tears moments from falling, “I- didn’t mean. Tony, I’m-”

Tony interrupted him, “Steve, don’t say or do anything you wouldn’t if I hadn’t been piled drived by a mythical creature.”

Steve laughed a little and put his forehead on Tony’s, “I hate you, Tony, you know that?”

“I think you mean _love_ ,” Tony tried to laugh but ended up whining in pain instead.

Steve took his armored hand, “Take it easy babe, we’re gonna get you all fixed up, we’re gonna go embarrass Petey at graduation next month, you still gotta help Peggy with her science project, and you promised to show Howard how to drive this year.”

Tony sighed, “Well I guess you’ll just have to give Petey hell from me, Bruce and Thor’ll help Peg, and driving’s simple enough.”

They were silent for a moment, “Hey, love?”

“What is it, sweetheart?”

“Tell Thor. He needs to… work on his punctuality.”

Steve let out a strangled sob, “Sarcastic ass till the end aren’t you?”

Tony gave his patented smirk, “You forgot genius, billionaire….playboy…philanth…rop…”

“Sweetheart?” Steve was struggling to hold it together, “No, Tony please, don’t, don’t go. We need you, I need you. I love you. I love you, Anthony Stark-Rogers. Please come back to me baby.”

All that responded to Steve’s pleads was JARVIS’ condolences.


	2. He's Not Coming Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter comes home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I may or may not have lied about it only being two chapters.

“Gwen, I can’t walk you home today I gotta get back to the Tower _now_.”

“What’s wrong what happened?” Gwen asked. She didn’t like Peter looking this worried.

“I dunno. All I know is that something attacked the city a little ways from home and ‘Tasha just told me to come straight home,” Peter said gathering his stuff and running off.

“Okay, be careful Peter!” Gwen shouted.

“Always!”

 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Peter swung back to the Tower as fast as he could. He knew something was wrong as soon as he opened the penthouse door. Everyone was in the living room, appearing to be in varying degrees of distress: Clint and Natasha (who looked to be on the verge of tears) doing their telepathic communication in a corner, Sam had his hand on Steve’s shoulder and Bucky (who looked like he had put on his Winter Soldier emotionless face) had his hand on Steve’s back. Peter’s little brother, Howard, was sitting on the stairs leading down to their father’s lab, his back was turned but Peter could tell he was crying. Peggy was laying down on Steve as expressionless as Bucky. Bruce was nowhere to be found and neither was Tony.

Steve was sitting on the couch, stroking Peggy’s hair, looking terrifyingly vacant. No light in his eyes, no expression on his face, just a blank, distant stare.

“Pop, what’s going on?” Peter asked, “Where’s Dad? Where’s Uncle Bruce?”

No answer from Steve.

Peter was starting to panic, “Pop? Where’s Dad? Was he hurt? He’ll be fine right?”

Natasha spoke up, “Peter your father is-”

“He’s dead, Peter.”

Steve had finally gathered whatever he needed to answer his eldest son. Howard started sobbing again.

“We were fighting one of Loki’s creatures, your father let his guard down for a moment too long, and got himself knock out of the sky.”

_No. No way._ If there was one thing Peter knew, especially these last couple of years, was that his father was harder to kill than a cockroach. Tony was a constant, one of the only unchanging things in Peter’s life as of late, he’s not. He couldn’t be.

Steve finally looked up at his son, Peter wished he hadn’t, “Looks like your Dad isn’t as hard headed as we thought, huh?”

Peter hardened, “Where is he? Where’s my father?”

“Peter I don’t think-” Sam started.

“He’s downstairs isn't he,” Peter said as he started for Bruce’s lab.

“Peter! Don’t-Howard- Steve don’t just- PEGGY _no!_ ”

When Peter, Howard, and Peggy arrived in the lab, Bruce was standing, with his back turned away from the door, on the side of a table that was occupied by Tony. The children had a full view of their broken, bloodied father.

“JARVIS tell the team that I have Tony dislodged from the suit, but don’t let the kids come down yet. They- they don’t they don’t need to see this.”

“I think it might be a little late for that sir.”

“What?” Bruce said turning around.

Howard was having a complete breakdown, Peggy was comforting him, looking like she was on autopilot, and Peter, he couldn't move. He didn't move when Bruce pushed them out of the lab. He didn't move when Sam scolded him and his siblings for running off. He couldn't move away from the blood pooled in his dad’s suit.


	3. Maybe We Don't Have To Be All Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony's a sap pass it on

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last thing I'll add to this unless you want more or I think of something that I think is worth adding.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Steve knew the team’s concerns. He knew he was being dangerously reckless on missions. He knew Thor shouldn’t have had to step in to keep Steve from beating the shit out of Loki when the God of Mischief came to the Tower to apologize of all things. He knew that grieving over Tony wouldn’t bring him back.

But they had no idea. They didn’t hear Tony’s scream of pain broadcasting only into the communicator of the person he talked to last. They didn’t see the blue glow of the arc reactor fade and go out from the lack of Tony’s heartbeat.

They didn’t know how afraid Steve was to sleep, it’s a bit cliché, but he didn’t dread sleep because of nightmares it was the dreams he didn’t want. Dreams of waking up next to Tony, of spending the day with Tony and the kids, of Tony affectionately telling him what a dumbass he was, of feeling Tony’s touch again…

Steve squeezed his glass of whatever Asgardian liquor Thor had laying around (that did nothing for him of course because of his damned metabolism) until it shattered.

It wasn’t fair. Tony’s liver cancer was already going to rob him of the rest of his life sooner rather than later, why did it have to be cut even shorter? Why didn’t Steve warn his husband sooner? Why Tony have to be such a stubborn dumb fuck?

Steve slammed down the bottle of liquor in his other hand adding more shattered glass to the floor. Why did Tony have to leave the kids down a parent? Why did he have to leave Steve with nothing at night but his memories?

“Master Rogers?” JARVIS said.

“What is it JARVIS?”

“I have a video message from the late Master Stark… I was given the order to wait until after Peter’s graduation but as Master Stark always said ‘Screw that.’”

JARVIS loaded up the video on the kitchen television.

Steve’s heart skipped a beat. It was the day before Tony died, he was leaning on one of his work tables.

"Well, Blondie, if you're watching this it means this is the last we'll be seeing each other. How ever I went out I hope it was bad ass with ACDC blasting in the background."

Tony laughed a little and then sobered up.

"But seriously, I'm sorry love. I'm sorry for not taking better care of myself, for leaving the kids to grow up without me, for leaving the team down a body, I'm sorry for a lot of things."

Steve looked down, to keep from breaking down than anything else. He had never seen Tony this sincere in all their years together.

"Hey! You look at me when I'm talking to you Rogers. Just because I can't actually see you doesn't mean I can't see you."

Steve forced himself to look back at the screen. Tony was now as close to the camera as he could get without distorting his face.

"But if all that is what comes with spending the best fifteen years of my life I've ever had with you, then sorry not sorry I'd do it all over again. Whether the cancer got me first or I got myself killed like a dumbass, know this I love you. I love the kids, I love the team, but most of all I love you Steven Grant Rogers-Stark."

Tony's voice began to crack.

"I feel like I say it all the time to everyone else but never to the most important man in my life: my dorky, paranoid, little shit of a husband. I love you so much Steve please never doubt that. I love your stupid blond hair that somehow manages to always look perfect, I love your dumb blue eyes that could always see right through me and my bravado, I love all the different smiles you have and I wish I could've stuck around so I could finish counting them all, I think I left off around thirty. Thirty one if I count whatever sad smile you have on your face now."

Steve scoffed. Tony always knew what face he was making.

"Anyway, I love your hands especially when they do the thing I like, you know which one, I love your cooking on occasion...I know you probably said 'fuck you' under your breathe and I don't mind if you do, Blondie."

Tony winked. Steve told him to go screw himself.

"I love watching you fight and give out orders even if I have to change them because they're stupid and I have a more efficient way. I love watching you draw because there's a beauty and grace to it that you have that's kinda hot; let's be honest with your skills, good looks, and charm you could've been a free-lance artist even in your pre-serum body and fuck anybody who says otherwise. I love your laugh especially when it's real because it's so infectious, I swear it could've ended World War 2 if you had tried it, I love seeing you with the kids, I honestly go through some of those home videos if I'm down here late. I love feeling your warmth and heartbeat when you crawl in next to me when you come in late from a mission.  I love you from your bottom to your top. Especially your bottom."

Steve rolled his eyes at the reference and husband's perversion. There was a distant noise that made Tony look away from the camera, smile, and look back.

"Looks like you just came in, Blondie. So I guess this is good bye."

Tony kissed the camera lens and put on his patent smirk, "See you in the next life, Cap!"

The screen cut to black.

Steve sat down in one of the chairs and cried, he cried, and cried.

"You watched yours too?"

Steve whipped around and everyone was standing behind him. All of them crying or about to. Steve nodded. The entire family, Peter, Peggy, Howard, Bruce, Natasha, Clint, Thor, Bucky, Sam, Rhodey, Pepper, and Happy all came to sit at the table with Steve.

"I remember when Daddy first showed Howie and me how DUM-E worked," Peggy said, talking for the first time in a month.

"Ye-yeah," Howard responded smirking just like Tony, "And if I remember correctly he tried drench you with a fire extinguisher."

"Oh that's not nearly as bad as when I found your father hanging upside down because Petey was having trouble with his webbing," Steve chuckled.

That's what they did for the rest of the day was talk about all the good times with Tony. Steve knew his husband wouldn't want him to stop living just because he did. After all he did promise to give Peter hell at graduation.


	4. Trade Mistakes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Listening to Trade Mistakes while writing so I made an alternate ending cause I'm a sap.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I lied about it only being two chapters. You're welcome Sarah.

Steve knew the team’s concerns. He knew he was being dangerously reckless on missions. He knew Thor shouldn’t have had to step in to keep Steve from beating the shit out of Loki when the God of Mischief came to the Tower to apologize of all things. He knew that grieving over Tony wouldn’t bring him back.

But they had no idea. They didn’t hear Tony’s scream of pain broadcasting only into the communicator of the person he talked to last. They didn’t see the blue glow of the arc reactor fade and go out from the lack of Tony’s heartbeat.

They didn’t know how afraid Steve was to sleep, it’s a bit cliché, but he didn’t dread sleep because of nightmares it was the dreams he didn’t want. Dreams of waking up next to Tony, of spending the day with Tony and the kids, of Tony affectionately telling him what a dumbass he was, of feeling Tony’s touch again…

Steve squeezed his glass of whatever Asgardian liquor Thor had laying around (that did nothing for him of course because of his damned metabolism) until it shattered.

It wasn’t fair. Tony’s liver cancer was already going to rob him of the rest of his life sooner rather than later, why did it have to be cut even shorter? Why didn’t Steve warn his husband sooner? Why Tony have to be such a stubborn dumb fuck?

Steve slammed down the bottle of liquor in his other hand adding more shattered glass to the floor. Why did Tony have to leave the kids down a parent? Why did he have to leave Steve with nothing at night but his memories?

Steve gathered his temper and went to grab a broom to clean up the broken glass when Loki appeared and deposited an Iron Man suit on the floor with a loud thump.

"LOKI? WHAT THE FUCK? WHAT THE FUCK, OKAY?” the man in the suit swore at his kidnapper.

“Believe me, Stark,” Loki said with a smirk, “You’ll thank me later.”

“I’ll thank you with a fist to your face!” Tony said lunging towards the god. Loki snapped his fingers and disappeared before Tony could make good on his threat.

Steve couldn’t believe his eyes. This was another one of Loki’s tricks. There’s no way fate would cut him this kind of slack twice.

“T-Tony?” Steve asked, guard up just in case this was a trap.

The Iron Man suit stiffened and slowly turned around to face Steve, whose heart almost stopped. There was no denying that the man in front of him was Tony Stark. The mask was off so Steve could see the signature goatee that framed his big mouth, the cute button nose, the big brown eyes- that look a few years younger than Steve’s Tony but held more pain-

“Steve?” Tony said moving toward the large blond in front of him, “No fucking. But- but you died years ago.”

Steve raised a mocking eyebrow despite himself, “Last I checked around here, _you_ died a month ago.”

“Well, I guess there’s two options, one, Loki took me from my life and dropped me off here or two, one of us is dreaming,” Tony gave Steve his all too familiar shit eating smirk, “And quite frankly, Blondie, I’m hoping for the former.”

At the sound of the nickname Tony reserved only for him, Steve grabbed his husband (from an alternate universe he guessed) and kissed him. Tony shocked for a minute but quickly recovered and reciprocated the kiss before pulling back for a moment.

“JARVIS?” Tony asked tentatively, unsure how different this Tower was from his.

“Master Stark?” JARVIS responded, slightest hint surprise in voice.

“Hey buddy! Take this suit away for me, would you?”

“Of course sir. Welcome back.”

Steve smiled, “Welcome back is right, this is going to be weird to explain to the kids.”

Tony sputtered, “ _Kids?_ As in more than one? Please tell me they’re not teenagers!”

Steve laughed at this Tony’s terrified look. He laughed harder than he had in a month, it took a couple of minutes to breathe enough to answer.

“Two boys: Peter’s 18 and Howard’s 16. One girl name Peggy and she’s 14. Don’t worry you learn to love them.”

“Jesus fuck, I’m going to have to aren’t I?” Tony frowned.

“So you’ll stay?” Steve asked stroking Tony’s cheek, now free from Iron Man armor. This Tony was definitely younger judging by the lack of grey at his temples, Steve grinned at the thought of the added years he got.

“Of course. I have nothing to go back to,” Tony responded flatly.

Steve not sure how to respond in a tactful way drew Tony into the most passionate kiss he’d ever given him. He knew this wasn’t completely his Tony, this Tony came with his own baggage that Steve was eager to figure out, but it was a start and better than the nothing he’s felt since his Tony fell. He’ll have to thank Loki later.

Maybe.


	5. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I decided to just put this all in one story, it's more organized that way

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had been 20 years since Tony died. All the kids were out of the Tower with their own lives and had long since joined the, ‘not so Young Avengers’ as Clint liked to call them, on taking on the original Avengers duties. Peggy was taking over SI with Clint and Natasha’s daughter, Katniss, Peter was an investigative journalist, and Howard was in Asgard married to Thor and Loki’s kid, Sarna. All the Avengers were getting old (except Thor of course) even Steve and Bucky with their superhuman bodies were 60+ and decided it was time to slow down.

Steve was headed to his favorite coffee shop. It was later than usual so the barista was unfamiliar to Steve. He didn’t look a day over 20 and his big brown eyes looked at Steve with an all too familiar “I am what I am. Deal with it.” spark. Just as the youth was about to ask Steve his order someone yelled, “SMITH!”

Smith scowled before responding, “YES, DEAR?”

Steve had to struggle to keep a straight face.

“DID YOU MOVE THOSE BOXES LIKE I TOLD YOU, BOY?”

“I put someone on it!” Smith said rolling his eyes.

“IT BETTER NOT BE ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE CONTRAPTIONS!”

“THEY’RE NOT CONTRAPTIONS, JUST- they’re prototypes!” Smith growled, “Besides I got a customer!”

“DON’T MAKE ME TELL YOU TWICE, KID!”

“Actually this is the third time,” Smith mumbled.

Steve was fighting a losing battle with his laughter when Smith addressed him.

“Hey, Blondie, can you give me a moment to serve Her Majesty?”

Steve smiling at the nickname told him to take as long as he needed.

“I WILL FIRE YOU, SMITH!”

Smith put on a smirk worthy of Tony Stark, “She can’t fire me. I’m the best employee she’s ever had and she knows it.”

 

As Steve walked out of the shop 15 minutes later, he laughed as shook his head remembering Tony’s last words to him “See you in the next life, Cap!”

Maybe he would come to check on the kid every so often. He was probably going to take over the world someday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me at steve-it-hurt-a-little-rogers.tumblr.com

**Author's Note:**

> Tell me what you think. Find me at steve-it-hurt-a-little-rogers.tumblr.com


End file.
